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Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Assessing wetland condition on a watershed basis in the Mid-Atlantic region using synoptic land cover maps Robert P. Brooks, Denice Heller Wardrop, and Joseph A. Bishop Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Robert P. Brooks, Director The mission of the Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center (CWC) is to conduct, facilitate, and coordinate interdisciplinary research, monitoring, and training regarding wetlands and related resources, with an emphasis in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states. Primary thrust of the CWC is research, focused in 3 major areas:   REFERENCE WETLANDS AND WATERSHEDS - Long-term study, monitoring, assessment, and understanding of natural reference wetlands;   RESTORATION AND CREATION - Development of design principles and monitoring protocols for wetland creation and restoration sites; and   ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS AND WETLAND-DEPENDENT WILDLIFE - Development and testing of ecological indicators for wetlands, streams, and forests.

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center *Acknowledgements* Funding and collaboration: USEPA OWOW, Washington, DC USEPA ORD-STAR Grants Program USEPA Region 3, Wetlands, Phila., PA U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg and Baltimore District PADEP, Div. Waterways, Wetlands & Erosion Control, Harrisburg, PA THANKS!

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Outline  Rationale for wetlands monitoring and assessment  Concept and use of reference  Wetland Monitoring Matrix  Case studies

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Why monitor wetlands? Why monitor wetlands?  Determine abundance (area) and condition (function)  Meet CWA integrity goal for all “waters”  Essential component of any Water Management Program  Comply with USEPA’s National Wetlands Monitoring Strategy

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Wetland Monitoring (regulatory and non-regulatory purposes) (regulatory and non-regulatory purposes)  Classification and Inventory - use of hierarchical systems such as NWI and HGM over time provide trend data  Assessment Methodologies - intensity of data collection to determine condition (health) will vary by purpose (e.g., permit evaluation vs. regional reporting of condition)  Watershed level reporting and listing - prioritize, rank, and target sites for action (e.g., preservation, conservation, restoration, and mitigation)

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Conceptual Wetland Condition Gradient Condition Gradient Highest Ecological Integrity Non-Supporting Goals Human Disturbance Gradient Minimum Maximum Condition Measurements High Low

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center

Wetland Monitoring continued… Wetland Monitoring continued… Practical and feasible: - Rotating basins by region - Coarse level screening with remote sensing - Fine level evaluation on selected sites - Sharing of compatible reference data - Regulatory and non-regulatory approaches

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Reference Benchmark for comparative assessments  Streams: reference = best attainable reference = best attainable disturbed = < reference disturbed = < reference  Wetlands: reference std. = best attainable reference std. = best attainable reference = < reference std. reference = < reference std. Need a gradient of sites from high to low ecological integrity.

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center

Questions How do we find the wetlands? (Inventory) How do we find the wetlands? (Inventory) How do we assess their ecological integrity? (Condition) How do we assess their ecological integrity? (Condition) How do we use this information to improve condition? (Restoration) How do we use this information to improve condition? (Restoration) InventoryConditionRestoration

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Wetland Monitoring Matrix INVENTORY ASSESSMENT RESTORATION LEVEL 1Use existing map Map land uses in Produce synoptic resources (NWI) watershed; compute watershed map of of wetlands landscape metrics restoration potential LEVEL 2Enhance inventory Rapid site visit and Select sites for using landscape- stressor checklist; restoration; examine based decision rules preliminary condition levels of threat from assessment surroundings LEVEL 3Map wetland zone Apply HGM and IBI Map specific sites abundance using models to selected for restoration; verified inventory sites for condition design projects with based on reference reference data sets

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center LEVEL 1 Landscape Assessment

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Why on a watershed basis? Watersheds are more efficient unit financially, socially, ecologically Watersheds are more efficient unit financially, socially, ecologically Accounting Unit (AU) for Integrated 303(d)/305(b) Reporting Accounting Unit (AU) for Integrated 303(d)/305(b) Reporting Conceptually attractive for local managers Conceptually attractive for local managers Watershed reporting of wetland condition by state by 2014 Watershed reporting of wetland condition by state by 2014

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center

Forested - 22% Agriculture - 40% Urban - 38%

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center

0100 Disturbance Score 50 Spring Creek Little Fishing Creek Juniata Brandywine Yellow Breeches Shavers Creek Bushkill White Deer Creek 2575 Degraded Reference Standard Level 1 Watershed Scores Based on 50 Randomly-Selected Wetlands

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center LEVEL 2 Rapid Assessment

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center

Stressor Checklist Hydrologic Modification Hydrologic Modification Sedimentation Sedimentation Dissolved oxygen Dissolved oxygen Contaminant toxicity Contaminant toxicity Vegetation alteration Vegetation alteration Eutrophication Eutrophication Acidification Acidification Turbidity Turbidity Thermal Alteration Thermal Alteration Salinity Salinity

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Rapid Assessment Score Combination of landscape, buffer, and site- specific stressors Combination of landscape, buffer, and site- specific stressors Score=Buffer+(%For*WF)-Buffer Hits Score=Buffer+(%For*WF)-Buffer Hits Landscape Buffer Wetland Buffer Penetration Stressors (on-site)

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center

LEVEL 3 Quantitative Assessment

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center HGM Functional Assessment Models for Wetlands Energy dissipation/Short term SW detention Long term SW storage Interception of groundwater Plant community structure and composition Detritus Vertebrate community structure and composition Invertebrate community structure and composition Maintenance of landscape-scale biodiversity Cycling of redox-sensitive compounds Solute adsorption capacity Retention of inorganic particulates Export of organic particulates Export of dissolved organic matter

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Plant-based IBI metrics - S. Miller Tested over 40 potential plant metrics Tested over 40 potential plant metrics Selected 8 to build IBI Selected 8 to build IBI Adjusted FQAI Adjusted FQAI % Annuals % Annuals % Non-natives % Non-natives % Invasives % Invasives % Trees % Trees % Cryptogams (ferns and fern allies) % Cryptogams (ferns and fern allies) % Cover of tolerant plant species % Cover of tolerant plant species % Cover of Phalaris arundinacea % Cover of Phalaris arundinacea

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center r = P < 0.001

Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center Summary Multi-level assessment approach described and verified at each of 3 levels Multi-level assessment approach described and verified at each of 3 levels Each of the 3 levels is informative Each of the 3 levels is informative Can be adapted to meet federal, state, and tribal needs for all “waters” and WQS Can be adapted to meet federal, state, and tribal needs for all “waters” and WQS Can implement coarse-level watershed prioritization now! Can implement coarse-level watershed prioritization now!